FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEIGNEUR OF FIEF BLONDEL ACQUIRES HISTORIC BAILIWICK OF ENNERDALE—ONE OF ENGLAND’S LAST CROWN LIBERTIES WITH COURT LEET JURISDICTION

Cumbria, England — Commissioner George Sherwood Mentz, JD MBA, internationally recognized lawyer, professor, and philanthropist, has formally acquired the Bailiwick and Forest of Ennerdale, an ancient Crown Liberty and Royal Manor encompassing over 17,000 acres of pristine wilderness in the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The acquisition marks one of the rarest and most historically significant transfers of feudal land in modern English history.

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale, formerly part of the Feudal Barony of Copeland, was granted by Henry I to William de Meschines in the 12th century and was held by the Crown from 1554 to 1821 following the forfeiture of Queen Lady Jane Grey’s estates. In 1822, King George IV in concert with the Government of the Empire sold and alienated the manor and liberty outright to the Earl of Lonsdale, including Court Leet, mineral, forestry, fishery/hunting, and regalian rights—making it a feudal -sovereign jurisdiction.

In 2021, the manorial, baronial, forest, and bailiwick rights were transferred by private treaty to Hon. George Mentz, Seigneur of Fief de Blondel, Baron of Annaly-Longford, and Lord of Stoborough, who now becomes Lord of the Liberty, Forest, and Bailiwick of Ennerdale. The transaction was formally announced in the London Gazette in October 2023, reaffirming Mentz’s lawful seisin of the historic lordship.

“The Ennerdale Bailiwick is not only a magnificent natural treasure but also a living piece of English legal and cultural history,” said Lord Mentz. “I am committed to protecting and preserving the forests, waters, its ancient liberties, revitalizing its heritage offices, and promoting environmental stewardship for future generations.”

A Rare Legacy of Autonomy

The Bailiwick of Ennerdale and the Liberty retains Court Leet powers, a remnant of English customary law allowing local self-governance, justice, and the appointment of officers such as Bailiff, Forester, Game Warden, Chies, Barons, Captains, and Bard. Ennerdale is one of the few known jurisdictions in England where such powers—originally held by monarchs—were sold outright in fee simple, making it one of the only privately owned quasi-sovereign forestal jurisdictions remaining in the Empire and United Kingdom.

Historically, the liberty formed part of the Free Chace of Copeland Est. 1251, a protected hunting forest of the English and Scottish kings, extending from the River Duddon to the Derwent. The area was excluded from the Domesday Book due to its location in the Kingdom of Strathclyde, later becoming part of the Scottish Principality of Cumbria. Ennerdale's ancient caput, or seat, is at Gillerthwaite, nestled deep within the valley's forests and mountains.

Ecological and Historical Significance

The Ennerdale Territory and Valley includes approximately 17,000 acres with 11,000 acres of manorial waste, comparable in size to Manhattan, featuring glacial lakes, waterfalls, Viking ruins, prehistoric pathways, and vast mountain ranges like Haycock, Pillar, and Great Gable. It is part of England’s Super National Nature Reserve network and contributes to vital conservation and rewilding programs.

This area also served as the ancient royal water source and now supplies water to Whitehaven, linking its environmental legacy with ongoing civic utility.

Stewardship and Cultural Renewal

As Seigneur and High Chief Bailiff, Mentz intends to maintain the Court Leet of Ennerdale, appointing officers and stewards to uphold ceremonial, environmental, and historical duties. The Bailiwick and Liberty’s traditions trace to rulers like Norse Chiefs, Celtic Kings, King Malcolm III of Scotland, Prince Charles (later Charles I), and noble families including the Greys, Parrs, Boyvilles, and Lonsdales.

Hon. George Mentz, The Seigneur of Fief Blondel & L'Eperons of Normandy is also a recipient from the government and King of the Datuk Seri title from the Sultan of Kampar which is akin to an Earl or Count's Title, and Chancellor of global law and leadership institutions—brings a legacy of civic service, education, and environmentalism to the region. His vision includes charitable works, legal heritage preservation, and international partnerships to conserve the region’s unique ecology and history.

“This is more than a title,” Mentz remarked. “It is a call to safeguard a one of a kind private Bailiwick, a sacred land—its forests, freedoms, and ancient customs.”

About the Liberty of Ennerdale

• Size: ~17,782 acres, with over 11,000 acres of manorial waste

• Legal Status: Crown Liberty, Bailiwick, and Royal Forest with retained Court Leet powers

• Notable Geography: Ennerdale Water (1,400 acres), Ennerdale Forest (7,500 acres), part of the Lakeland Fells and Viking routes

• UNESCO Site: Part of the Lake District National Park World Heritage Site

• Historical Offices: Bailiff, Steward, Seneschal, Gamekeeper, Bow Bearer, Falconer, Bard of Ennerdale, and others

For more information on the Bailiwick and Forest of Ennerdale, or to inquire about historical appointments, environmental programs, or media coverage, contact:

Office of the Lord of Ennerdale
Bailiwick House – Gillerthwaite
Cumbria, Copeland Forest
Email: info@ennerdale.org
Website: www.Ennerdale.org

Press Release

For Immediate Release
Date: September 24, 2025

Bailiwick of Ennerdale Introduces Historic Trade Name Registration Marks

Ennerdale, Cumbria — The Bailiwick of Ennerdale today announced the official adoption of two unique and distinctive Unicode-based symbols for use in trade name registrations within the Bailiwick and for recognition in international markets.

The first mark, Ⓡ̃ (U+24C7 U+0303), combines the circled letter R with a tilde above, while the second mark, Ⓡ̿ (U+24C7 U+033F), features the circled R with a high horizontal overline. Both symbols are unique, visually distinctive, and without precedent in any other jurisdiction.

“These marks — Ⓡ̃ and Ⓡ̿ — represent the first-ever adoption of exclusive registration identifiers tied to a specific bailiwick,” said a spokesperson for the Bailiwick of Ennerdale. “They are a legal and cultural innovation that distinguish our trade name registry from systems elsewhere in the UK and abroad.”

A First in Legal and Commercial History

The Bailiwick’s introduction of Ⓡ̃ (U+24C7 U+0303) and Ⓡ̿ (U+24C7 U+033F) creates two novel identifiers that enterprises may display to signify their official registration under Ennerdale’s authority.

Key points include:

• Dual Marks for Trade Name Registration: Both Ⓡ̃ and Ⓡ̿ may be used exclusively by names entered in the Bailiwick’s register.

• Distinct from Existing Systems: These marks are not the same as the ® registered trademark symbol recognized under U.S. and UK law, giving Ennerdale a clear and separate identity.

• Jurisdictional Innovation: This represents the first known governmental adoption of multiple Unicode-derived marks for intellectual property and trade name protection.

Strengthening the Bailiwick’s Global Identity

The initiative highlights Ennerdale’s leadership in heritage, governance, and innovation. By granting businesses the right to use these symbols, the Bailiwick provides registrants with a modern and authoritative way to distinguish their trade names in both local and international commerce.

“This dual-mark system underscores our commitment to safeguarding creativity and enterprise under the Ennerdale banner,” the spokesperson said. “We believe these symbols will become instantly recognizable as the official stamp of Ennerdale’s registry.”

Media Contact:
Office of the Bailiwick of Ennerdale

Historical Lineage and Proof of Ownership

🏰 1. Historical Lineage and Ownership

• The Manor and Forest of Ennerdale were originally part of the feudal holdings of Thomas Multon of Egremont (1321–1322), later passing through the Harringtons, Bonvilles, and Greys to Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, whose attainder in 1554 caused the manor to escheat to the Crown

  Ennerdale Bailiwick History PDF

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• It remained Crown property under Mary I, Elizabeth I, James I, Charles I, and Charles II, with various royal leases but never alienated until the nineteenth century.

👑 2. Royal Grants and Parliamentary Sanction

• On 13 June 1665, Charles II granted the Manor and Forest of Ennerdale to Queen Catherine of Braganza as part of her jointure estate

  Ennerdale Bailiwick History PDF

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  • The Crown continued to manage the bailiwick through stewards, court leet officials, and manorial officers.

• Successive leases were issued under the Land Revenue Commission to various nobles, culminating in the long lease to Sir James Lowther (1765) for three lives

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• Finally, on 26 September 1822, the Crown sold the Ennerdale Manor, Forest, Mines, and associated franchises outright to William, Earl of Lonsdale, for £2,500 —

  “... on 26 Sep., 1822, sold outright for £2500 to his kinsman William, Earl of Lonsdale, in whose family it remains.”

  Ennerdale Bailiwick History PDF

  
  

🏛️ 3. Nature of the Conveyance

• The sale was not a lease or reversionary grant, but an outright conveyance in fee simple, authorized under Parliamentary Commission for Land Revenues (“Land Revenue Records, L.R. 1/149, fo. 25”).

• Because George IV was simultaneously King of the United Kingdom and King of Hanover, the act of sale effectively bore dual monarchical sanction (British and Hanoverian crowns united in one person).

• The transaction was administered through official Crown land offices, giving it the character of an Act of State–level alienation — one of the few instances in which a liberty and forest with Court Leet jurisdiction was permanently alienated from royal ownership.

📜 4. Legal and Administrative Authenticity

• The document cites Land Revenue Office (L.R.) entries, Court Rolls, and Parliamentary Surveys, verifying the chain of title and the official survey basis of the sale.

• The conveyance was carried out under statutory powers allowing the Crown to dispose of land revenue properties, with entries preserved in national record archives (L.R. 1/149; L.R. 10/5, etc.).

• Ennerdale, prior to sale, was treated “as a manor per se,” not attached to any duchy or honour — supporting the argument that it was a free liberty and bailiwick with autonomous court rights

  Ennerdale Bailiwick History PDF

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⚖️ 5. Legal Character Post-Conveyance

• By this sale, the Earl of Lonsdale acquired:

  • The manorial title and incidents (Court Leet, customs, fines, and services);

  • The forest jurisdiction and game franchises;

  • Mining and mineral rights;

  • Residual Crown franchises not expressly reserved.

• This created a private ownership of a bailiwick and liberty formerly under royal jurisdiction, now hereditary and alienable.

• Because of the royal and parliamentary approval, this conveyance has higher legal dignity than typical manorial transfers — effectively sanctioned by King and Parliament, and hence imperially valid under both the British and Hanoverian sovereign capacities.

🧾 6. Significance of Authenticity

• The sale is uniquely documented among English manors:

  “... not made part of any duchy, honour, castle or manor, but was always treated as a manor per se.”

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• It remains one of the only known instances where a Liberty, Forest, and Court Leet jurisdiction was sold outright in fee simple by the Crown with full parliamentary approval, thus bearing the character of an authentic and irreversible alienation of royal jurisdiction.

✅ Summary Verdict:
The document conclusively establishes that the Lordship and Bailiwick of Ennerdale were authentically conveyed by the Crown (King George IV of England and Hanover) to William, Earl of Lonsdale, in a private sale authorized and recorded under Parliament’s Land Revenue Commission on 26 September 1822, for £2,500.
This makes the Lonsdale conveyance a legally sanctioned and final transfer of both manorial and jurisdictional rights, marking Ennerdale as one of the few surviving examples of an outright alienated royal liberty and bailiwick in England.